Commuting and regional integration in eastern Rio de Janeiro

Abstract Commuting is an important measure to assess cities’ integration processes and regional population dynamics. In 2015, IBGE identified an intensification of the movement of people between the municipalities in eastern Rio de Janeiro, from Arraial do Cabo to São João da Barra, considering them relevant aspects of Brazilian urbanization. However, little is known about the weight of commuting between these municipalities, the levels of connections between them and the interaction between these municipalities and Macaé, the main destination of commuters in the area. This work analyzes the extent of regional integration of the eastern Rio de Janeiro vector from the 2000 and 2010 census data. The commuting due to work and/or study observed in Macaé places the municipality in a prominent position among the selected municipalities. We affirm that Macaé is not just a moving city, but a municipality that potentially integrates the labor market of other municipalities in the region. This study may illuminate new discussions about the recent urbanization processes in the state of Rio de Janeiro, mainly because it is a region demographically integrated, but politically fragmented.